Ambassador Benoit Guidee, the newly appointed Head of the Asia Department at the French Foreign Ministry, has selected India as his inaugural destination for an official visit abroad. Following his arrival in the national capital, he addressed the media on Friday, discussing the arrangements underway for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to France scheduled for 14th July this year.
“The French Embassy in India shared a video message from Ambassador Benoit Guidee, the newly appointed Head of the Asia Department at the French Foreign Ministry, who expressed his excitement about selecting India as his inaugural foreign trip. In the Twitter post, the embassy stated, “Watch him discuss the preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris as the Chief Guest for France’s National Day on 14th July.” In the video, Ambassador Benoit Guidee greeted viewers with a warm “Namaste” and conveyed his pleasure to be in India for official meetings. He emphasized that his decision to visit India first was an obvious one, given that India holds the highest importance and trust as a partner in the region.”
“I have had very fruitful meetings with Indian officials to prepare the trip by Prime Minister Modi for Bastille Day on 14 July. We are delighted that this year’s Bastille Day will be India Day. So we are all waiting for this very important visit by Prime Minister Modi, which will strengthen our partnership for decades to come,” he said, speaking on India-France relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour on France’s National Day on 14 July.
The news was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. He tweeted both in French and Hindi, expressing his pleasure over PM Modi’s visit.
“Cher Narendra, heureux de t’accueillir a Paris comme invite d’honneur du defile du 14 juillet!”” tweeted Macron in French, which translates to, “Dear Narendra, happy to welcome you to Paris as guest of honour on 14 July!”
“Dear Narendra, It will be my pleasure to welcome you to Paris as a guest of honour for the 14th of July parade,” tweeted Macron. On the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend this year’s Bastille Day Parade as Guest of Honour on 14 July in Paris this year. PM Modi was invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the parade in Paris. According to an official statement, an Indian armed forces contingent will participate in the parade alongside their French counterparts.
PM Modi’s visit is expected to herald the next phase in the India-France Strategic Partnership by setting new and ambitious goals for our strategic, cultural, scientific, academic, and economic cooperation, including in a wide range of industries, the official statement read.
India and France defend the goals and tenets of the United Nations Charter, which serve as the cornerstone of collaboration between the two nations in the Indo-Pacific region, and share a vision for peace and security, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
“This historic visit of PM Modi will also deliver common initiatives in order to respond to the key challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, and will be an opportunity for India and France to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, including in the context of India’s G20 Presidency,” the official statement added.
